Hello, my lovely readers. I am trying to finish this story up but it is taking more time than I expected it to. I hope you will bear with me. On with the show…
Chapter 43: Mistakes, I Made a Few
For a moment, Caroline could not breathe. She could only stare, numbly, back at Stefan. No. Not Stefan. Henri. Henri who had stalked her, and her friends, mentally tortured them, and ensured their deaths. The man—or whatever he was—who stood in her room. She could almost see the smirk on his face. If she were still a hybrid, she would tear him apart.
"Thinking about how much you would love to sink claw and fang into me, dear?" Henri called to her, a low chuckle causing her to dig her nails into her mattress.
"You deserve worse," Caroline spat back.
"Oh, now that is not a nice way to talk to the love of your life," Henri replied.
Caroline heard him moving toward her and swung her legs over the side of the bed, crawling over the opposite side, and moving toward the window.
"Think you can fly now, Caroline?" Henri taunted her.
Caroline placed her hands on the glass, and then slid downward, finding the metal handle, she opened it and yanked it upward. "No. I don't," she snapped back.
Chuckling, again, Henri came closer. "Then what are you doing?"
"I'm going to jump. Die. And, with any luck, wake up from whatever you've done to me." Caroline felt satisfied when he did not reply. Turning, she started to throw one leg out of the window and then to push her head through when a hand clamped down on her hair.
Caroline let out a scream when Henri jerked her head backward. She could feel her scalp pulled tight against Henri's fingers, her hair entangled in them as he dragged her backwards and tossed her on the floor. "You think you can get away from me that easily?"
Before she could formulate what he had said, Henri's fingers were digging into the flesh of her upper arms and pulling her up, off the floor. "Why don't we find out what your friends lives would be like if you had never become a blood sucking demon and triggered your wolf side? Hmm?"
Without waiting for a response, Henri hauled her toward her dorm door. Caroline fought him, twisting her body in his arms, punching and kicking, feeling satisfied when he would wince. Looked like Henri was not the kind of supernatural creature who was immune to a human's violence. Good. She would remember that.
"You know, you can hurt me, all you want, Caroline, but I can hurt you more," Henri whispered, shoving her out the door. "Now, why don't you behave, like a good girl?"
"Go straight to hell!" Caroline shouted back at him. Pushing her hands against the closest wall, she walked quickly, moving toward the stairs. When she got to them, she nearly fell. It had been too long since she'd had to do this blind. She'd become too complacent with her supernatural sight.
"Be careful, Caroline, I would hate for you to fall and bump your pretty head," Henri taunted her. "Or you could take my help."
"I would rather break every limb in my entire body than to take help from you," Caroline snarled back. She placed her hand on the rail, holding on tight before placing a foot down on the first step. She would smile but she did not feel like there was anything to be smiling about. Her right foot moved down to the next step. Left. Right. Left. It was like riding a bike.
"Muscle memory is a wonder, isn't it?" Henri asked her, falling into step with her.
Caroline chose to ignore him. When her feet were on solid flooring again, she strode to the front door. Something told her that they were alone, for the moment.
"Let me get that for you," Henri said and Caroline growled as wind blew through the open door and she took a step out of the building. "Freedom? Nothing like it. Huh?"
"Freedom from you would be a real pleasure," Caroline said. She stalked ahead, with no idea where she was going, or who she was looking for.
"Not so fast," Henri's fingers encircled her wrist and Caroline spun around to face him. "We have to go to classes."
"I'm skipping." Caroline whirled on her heel, trying to walk away from Henri but he jerked her backward.
"Get off of me!" Caroline shouted, trying to pull herself away from him.
"Hey, folks. Is there a problem here?" Marcel's voice made Caroline gasp in relief.
"Marcel!" Caroline cried, pulling away from Henri and latching onto her friend. "Thank God! I need your help!"
"I'm sorry. Do we know each other?" Marcel inquired, gently. His hands came down on her shoulders and they slumped. Of course he had no idea who she was.
"Rebekah? Do you know Rebekah Mikaelson? My roommate?"
"You need to find her?" Marcel's words were tinged with concern. "Here. Why don't you tell me what her number is, and I'll call her for you?"
"Okay. Thank you," Caroline nodded her head, feeling relieved.
Henri did not try to stop this scene or to interfere in anyway and Caroline felt suspicious. She wished she could see him, see what he was doing, why he had become so silent.
"Hello? Is this Rebekah Mikaelson?" Caroline shook her head at Marcel's words. It felt like a lifetime ago since Marcel and Rebekah met. "This is Marcel Gerard. I found your roommate." There was a pause, "Miss, what is your name?" Caroline registered that he was talking to her.
"My name is Caroline Forbes," she told him.
Another pause and then Marcel's voice informing Rebekah on the current crisis. "Caroline Forbes, she was wandering around the quad by herself. Uh-huh. Okay. I will do that." She really, really wished she still had her hearing. Not being able to know what Bekah said was killing her.
"I'm not alone!" Caroline argued. "Henri. He's right there!" Caroline pointed at where she thought Henri was.
"I'm sorry, Caroline, there's no one there," Marcel told her, placing a hand on her arm. "I think we should sit down, until your friend shows up." He led her to a bench and she forced herself to sit down. Her entire body felt tense. At any moment she might leap from the bench and run away from Henri. From Marcel. From Rebekah, if the Mikaelson sister arrived.
"He can't see me," Henri taunted her.
Caroline grimaced. "Neither can I. But I can still hear you. Unfortunately."
"Caroline, who are you talking to?" Marcel inquired. His light tone did not reassure Caroline. He probably thought she was nuts. Just like Elena had.
Come on. This is my head. I have to have some control over what I see, hear and can do. Think, Caroline. Caroline's thoughts were getting her nowhere and she felt Henri's fingers graze over the back of her neck, causing her to jerk forward on the bench and out of his reach.
"Caroline, you okay?" Marcel asked her.
"Yes, Caroline, are you okay?" Henri's laughter made Caroline turn to him and slap him. "Okay. Now that hurt. Do you want me to hurt him?" He inquired, his tone as light as Marcel's had been but the underlining threat making her breath hitch.
"No," Caroline said, her voice shaky.
"Is there anything I can do?" Marcel asked her, his hand on hers, squeezing gently.
"I'm fine," Caroline said. "Just a little out of it." She forced herself to sit back on the bench. She ignored the feeling of Henri's fingers brushing the back of her neck. He wanted an excuse to show her what he could do. Who he could hurt. Just because none of this was real would not change how much anguish she would feel at seeing her friends in pain.
Henri cooed in her ear. "That's a good girl. Now, see how much better things are when you play along?"
Again, Caroline said nothing. She would wait for Rebekah and see what happened next.
Henri waited with her. Finally being kind enough to shut the hell up for the time being.
When Rebekah arrived, she did not come alone. "Caroline," Rebekah called. "Dear God! What have you been up to?" she demanded. She sounded out-of-breath, world weary and extremely irritable.
"I…" Caroline could not think of the right thing to say. Anything might trigger Henri. And all she wanted was to escape him, to talk to Rebekah. And Hayley. She could draw strength from them. Even if they were just the versions of themselves in her head.
"Right then. Don't tell me," Rebekah sounded annoyed. "Come on."
Caroline stood up. "Where are we going?"
"Back to Mystic Falls. You obviously need to talk to your doctor," Rebekah stated. Her bored tone made Caroline wince. "George will give us a ride."
"George," Caroline hissed. "Are you kidding me? Rebekah, you need to stay away from him."
"I'm doing what?" George's voice set Caroline's nerves on edge.
"What is he doing here?" Caroline shouted, feeling her body beginning to shake.
"Caroline, calm down," Rebekah's tone dropped several octaves. She was trying to be gentle but Caroline heard a tinge of fear in it. Rebekah feared George finding out what Rebekah had said to Caroline or that Caroline might say something in front of Marcel. For a moment, Henri was forgotten.
"Rebekah, what is she saying?" George demanded.
"Nothing. She's saying nothing. You know how she is, love. She's a bit…off," Rebekah's hushed tone made Caroline lose her temper.
"No! I am not insane!" Caroline shouted at them. "I am not having delusions! Henri is real. And you, you are a monster, George! You belong is jail!" She moved forward, faster than she'd been able to the entire time she'd been in this world and punch George in the jaw. In a second's time, a flash of sunlight streaked across her vision. A flash of blonde hair at the edge of her vision, flying as a head spun. Rebekah's head. Rebekah's hair. And then darkness.
But Caroline did not need her vision. She had her sense of touch. And she fell on top of George, punching him, again and again. She felt the old aggression. Her wolf howling inside her, panting as she continued to beat George whose hands moved to grab hers but she was too fast for him, landing blow after blow.
"Caroline!" Rebekah screamed at her. Caroline could hear Rebekah sobbing and then she felt Marcel trying to tug her off of George. However, he underestimated her strength and went flying when she threw her right arm out, shoving him away.
"You hurt my pack!" Caroline shouted at George. "No one touches mine!" she hissed, making a claw and dragging her fingers down his left cheek.
George let out a wail of pain and Caroline felt satisfied. She would rip him to shreds and drink his blood. If only this was real. If only she'd come back before Rebekah had been hurt. If only.
And then George was gone.
"What the hell?" Caroline cried out, falling back on her heels.
"You know. That was impressive," Henri told her.
Caroline lifted her head and stared at Henri. He grinned back at her and she blinked, registering the fact that she had her vision back. "What are you doing to me?" she demanded, standing up.
Henri shook a finger at her. "Oh, no, no. You don't get all the answers without having to work for them." He walked in a slow circle around her. Caroline followed his movements, never allowing him to get outside of her line of sight.
Cocking his head to the side, Henri smirked. "Looks like we're not done just yet."
Vision darkening, Caroline found herself on top of George once more. "Help us, please!" Rebekah shouted.
"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" a voice cried and Caroline felt herself being jerked off of Henri and she felt herself being jerked off of Henri.
"Thank you, Elijah!" Rebekah cried. "Oh, George."
"Elijah?" Caroline felt odd, struggling in Elijah's iron grip.
"This is fun," Henri said.
"Elijah, get off of me!" Caroline shouted at Elijah. "He's hurting Rebekah."
"Caroline, please," Elijah sighed. "Let's get you to the car."
"No. No! Elijah!" Caroline shouted. "Please! Listen to me!" Elijah picked her up and began to move forward. "Elijah, George raped Rebekah!"
"What?" Marcel's voice joined them.
"I'm sorry. My sister's roommate has paranoid delusions. Last week she told us that her dead boyfriend was trying to kill us all and that her friends were some sort of reincarnations. You must not take what she says to seriously."
"Elijah, don't!" Caroline cried as he carried her forward.
"Caroline, you are lucky I stopped you from killing George. He won't press charges. However my family cannot keep protecting you from the harm you inflict on yourself and others. It's bad enough what you did to Henri."
"What?" Caroline hissed.
Elijah sighed. "It's alright. The doctor will find something to keep you calm. The last thing we need is for you to trigger your wolf and kill half the campus." He set her down inside a car and clicked the seatbelt over her chest. "Now, please, don't make me give you a sedative before we see him."
"Elijah, George hurt Rebekah!" Caroline cried. His answer was to shut the door on her words.
Falling back in her seat, Caroline felt Henri's fingers lace into her curls. "You know, if you hadn't been there, it might have been Elijah who triggered his wolf gene. Wouldn't that have been fun? The one who would carry the guilt with him the most. The one who felt it his duty to look after everyone, a cold-blooded killer."
"Shut up!" Caroline mumbled, placing her hands over her face.
"And without you, Rebekah might have never met Marcel. She might have thought that a man like George—horrible, vicious George was exactly what she deserved." Henri pressed his lips to her ear. "Maybe she evens likes being in danger every night."
"I don't believe you. Rebekah is a fighter. She wouldn't allow a man to do the things that George did to her to keep happening." Caroline twisted her head, pressing to the cool glass of the window.
"What about Hayley? She would have gone back to Damon. If it weren't for you, she would have never pursued Elijah. And she would be living her happily ever after like she was always meant to, no mythical babies to protect, no fear of pregnancy period."
Caroline felt hot tears pool in her eyes as her hands went to her flat mid-drift. "This isn't real. None of this is real. You're in my head!" she snarled.
"Caroline, please," Elijah groaned.
Ignoring Elijah, Caroline pressed her cheek against the glass of the passenger side window. It felt so real. She felt that if she blew air on the glass it would fog and she could spell out a plea for help to any passer-by.
"And Marcel," Henri taunted her. "He never would have died. It really was a brutal death. You should have heard his screams. Did you know he fought back? Completely vulnerable. Caught off guard while he's asleep. Looks just like a baby: innocent, happy. Then the shock a person undergoes when they feel a knife puncturing a vital organ. The blood went everywhere. Like the most beautiful tapestry I have ever painted on before."
"You killed Marcel?" Caroline demanded, turning in her seat. She reached out, trying to get at Henri. An arm pushed her back into her seat and Caroline let out a growl of rage, trying to fight off the arm, but the person was stronger than she was.
"Stop fighting, Caroline!" Elijah snapped at her and she realized that it was Elijah who pinned her to her seat with such force.
"And poor, sweet Elena. She wanted children and a normal, human life, with a normal human boyfriend. Here, she can have all of that. She and Marcel can have peaceful, boring, little lives and deaths. It's all up to you, Caroline," Henri whispered to her.
Inhaling and exhaling through her teeth, Caroline sat back in her seat. "I wish that things were different. I made mistakes. I hurt people."
Henri let out a laugh. "You killed Rebekah. You turned her, against her will. What kind of a friend does that? Huh? A selfish one. A complete control freak. A depraved, narcissistic child who wants what she wants and feels no remorse."
"I may be a lot of things but I am not you, Henri," Caroline retorted.
"Oh, but you are, you're just like me. You just don't want to admit how good it feels when you are in control. When you are the one who tells everyone who to be, what to do, who to be with. You are the architect of everything in their worlds. They fight you. They argue with you. In the end, none of it matters because you are their leader and they will do as you bid them." Henri wrapped his hands around her neck and pressed his nose to her hair. "And they will die, again, and again, and again, for you, Caroline. They will sacrifice it all for you. And if you say stop fighting me and allow fate to finally take the wheel: they will stand down with you. You can stop. This can be it. Your final life."
"Is that what you want, for me to die?" Caroline demanded.
"No. I want you to live. To live by my side. The way that it was always meant to be. You were born to be mine. To stand by side until the end. You, me and your children. Our child." Reaching down, Henri placed his hand over Caroline's middle and she placed her hand down on her middle, feeling it expanding. "Yes. Our son grows stronger, every day."
"What?" Caroline cried out, feeling panic filling her.
"Oh, did you think your beloved Klaus was the father of both of them?" Pressing his lips to her ear, Henri let out a chuckle. "Silly, stupid girl. I can be whoever I want. I take whatever I want. And this boy is mine."
Feeling the car stop, Caroline shoved the door open and she almost fell onto the pavement. Leaning over, she vomited. "Oh, my God! Oh, my… no…"
"Caroline?" Elijah's rapid footsteps moved to join her and Caroline felt him pulling her to her feet. "It's alright. We're here. The doctor will take excellent care of you."
"No! Elijah, please! You have to listen to me! I don't need a doctor! I need Klaus! And Rebekah! And Hayley! Please, you have to let me go! I have to find them!" Caroline struggled against Elijah who half-carried her down the sidewalk. "Please! Elijah!" she cried, trying to escape his embrace but he was too strong. Werewolf strong against human strength did not work. If only she could become angrier.
"Elijah!" Caroline shrieked, thinking about what Henri had told her in the car and then she clawed at his face, running her fingers down his cheek, feeling flesh tearing and blood under her nails. She felt guilty but she had to do it. She had to get free.
Breaking free from Elijah, Caroline turned and tried to flee. "Caroline!" a voice shouted at her. It was calm and demanding. She stopped, turning to the sound.
"Klaus!" Caroline shouted back.
"Caroline, what have you done to Elijah?" Klaus sounded shocked and annoyed.
"I'm sorry. He wouldn't listen to me!" Caroline held out her arms, searching for Klaus. Her hand fell on his chest and she inhaled sharply, tears falling down her cheeks. She felt exhaustion washing over her. Klaus had to be the key to getting her out of here.
"Come along," Klaus said quietly, taking her arm and leading her forward.
"We need to find Rebekah and Hayley. They're in danger. He's here," Caroline whispered to Klaus, hearing other, unfamiliar voices as they entered a door. None of the smells were familiar.
Running into a chair, Caroline cried out. "Ow."
"Watch your step," Klaus said, placing a hand on her waist and guiding her.
Caroline pressed her face against Klaus' chest. She wished he would carry her. She felt so very tired. "Here," Klaus said and she heard a clicking sound. They stepped inside a room. She thought it was a room but was not sure.
"Please, sit," Klaus said, and Caroline sat down, feeling beneath her. It felt like a bed. Not a very comfortable bed. It felt thin. And the blanket on top would not keep anyone warm on a night like tonight.
"I'll be back for our session," Klaus said and then he moved backward.
"What?" Caroline moved to stand up. She stepped forward, arms out, not knowing what she might run into. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. And then something that felt like padding. Moving her hands along what felt like a wall of padding, horror dawned on her. Moving more quickly along the wall, Caroline found the door, her hand clamped over the handle which would not move. "No! Klaus! Klaus, let me out of here! I am not crazy! KLAUS!"
"Sorry, Caroline," Henri called from behind her. "It looks like Klaus is not the key out of this world. He's the guard, to keep you in here, with me. Now, have you thought of baby names? I was thinking Silas. That was the name my first father gave me. I kind of prefer it."
Caroline opened her mouth and let out a piercing howl. For a moment she thought she heard answering howls. Letting out another, she waited…
When Caroline heard no return howl, she fell to her knees, curled up in a ball and pressed her forehead to the cool door of the room. "I will get out of here. I will get out of here. I will get out of here," she began to chant.
"You just keep telling yourself that," Silas, Henri, Stefan or whatever in the hell his name really was replied. "In the meantime, we have all the time in the world to talk about what our life will be like together. I was thinking we could move to a small village, in England. Although that might remind you of Klaus… let's see."
Caroline tuned him out. She would break free and she would kill him, even it meant that she would never return to this life.
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.
Peace,
Jessica